Pickup utility device



July 22, 1952 F. s. TAYLOR 2,604,350

PICKUP UTILITY DEVICE Filed Dec. 5, 1948 J /0 ll /4/ E1 1 H I\\\ lk m 9 x /5 /z 4 INVEN TOR.

H ya/E5. 7P: YLOR A T TORNE Y.

Patented July 22, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PICKUP UTILITY DEVICE Freddie S. Taylor, Wichita, Kans.

Application December 3, 1948, Serial No. 63,257

2 Claims. 1

My invention relates to an improvement in pickup utility devices. The object of thisinvention is to provide a device of the kind mentioned that has a sharp hook element that is slightly pitched in a corkscrew fashion which makes it extremely easy to pick up or hook into such articles as meat, to pick it up and turn it over in a skillet in the process of frying or cooking the meat. This pickup device is also extremely useful in picking pickles, or other foodstuff from bottles in which they are packed. This pickup device works much better and is much easier to use than a fork, such as is usually used.

A further object of this invention is to provide a pickup device of the kind mentioned in which the rear end of the hook shaft is tightly seated in the handle portion of the device and means is provided to eliminate any possibility of the shaft turning in the handle.

A still further object is to provide a device of the kind mentioned in which the handle portion of the device is so fashioned in one holding the handle in his or her hand the handle will so fit in the hand as to be comfortable and easy to prevent the handle from turning in ones hand in the process of turning meat or other foods in a skillet.

A still further object is to provide a device, the front portion of which is heavier than the handle portion so that the device can be laid in a skillet with the handle portion projecting therefrom and the shaft of the device will rest on the top edge of the wall of the skillet and the device will not overbalance and fall from the skillet.

A still further object is to provide a device of the kind mentioned that is easy and simple to make and assemble and one that is not expensive. These and other objects will be more fully explained as this description progresses.

Now referring to the accompanying drawings in which similar numerals of reference designate the same parts throughout the several figures of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the pickup device.

Fig. 2 is a side and sectional view of the device.

Fig. 3 is a front end view of the device, the view being as seen from the line III-III in Fig. l and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a rear end View of the device, the view being as seen from the line IV-IV in Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a detail side view of the rear portion of the shaft portion of the device.

Fig. 6 is a side view of the handle portion of the device, parts being broken away and shown in section for convenience of illustration.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail view of the rear end of the shaft portion of the device.

Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view of a portion of a skillet and illustrating the balance of the pickup device in the skillet.

In the drawings the device is shown as comprising a straight shaft portion 10, one end of which is formed into a long tapering shaft end that is bent into a hook formation II that extends all to one side of the shaft l0 and also extends slightly forwardly in a corkscrew fashion.

The device as shown in the drawings is designed for use by a right handed person, and if the device is to be used by a left handed person, the hook ll would be turned in the opposite direction from that shown in the drawings.

The rear end of the shaft [0 is provided with cutaway portions on opposite sides of the shaft to leave a flat rearwardly extending portion l2, and the side edges of the portion [2, the rear end of which is brought to a substantially sharp edge I3, and the side edges of the portion [2 are rounded and lie wholly within the circle of the shaft [0.

The handle [4 is made of any suitable material such as wood, and is preferably made square and tapering from rear to front as shown. This shape has proved to be best as it is easy to hold on to and keep the device from turning in ones hand in the process of turning meat or other objects that may have considerable weight to them. The handle I4 is provided with a bore l5 that is longitudinally positioned therein and is located on the central longitudinal axis of the handle I 4. The bore I 5 is slightly smaller in diameter than the shaft [0.

To assemble the shaft I0 in the handle I 4,

. the rear end of the shaft I0 is forced into the bore l5, preferably pressed or driven, and because the bore i5 is slightly smaller than the shaft [0, the shaft ID will fit tightly in the bore l5.

The shaft [0 is forced into the bore l5 until the shaft projection l 2 strikes the end of the bore I5 and as the shaft I0 is further advanced into the bore [5, the sharp edge I3 01 the projection 12 enters the body of the handle [4 and makes way for the projection [2 which is finally seated in the body of the handle [4.

The shaft l0 having been mounted in the handle l4 as above described will be tight and the projection l 2 will positively keep the shaft ID from turning in the handle l4 and there will be no openings in the handle [4 around the shaft l0 where the projection I2 passed because of the fact that the side edges of the projection [2 lie within the circle of the shaft In. This makes an extremel neat and workmanshiplike job of mounting the shaft [0 in the handle [4.

While the device shown in the drawings and described in the foregoing specification is probably the preferred form of the device, it is to be understood that such modifications of the invention may be employed as lie within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and intention of the invention.

Now having fully shown and described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a utility pickup device of the, kind described, said device comprising in combination a round shaft and a handle therefor, onerend of said shaft being tapered to a long sharp point,

the tapered portion of said shaft being bent sideways with respect to the shaft and curved into a spirally shaped hook, theother end of said shaft having two of its opposite sides cut away to leave a flat actually projecting tongue on the end of the shaft, the side edges of said tongue being beveled to form a sharp edge across the width of the tongue, one end of said handle having a bore therein to receive the tongu'ed end 4 of the shaft, the tongued end of said shaft being tightly received in said bore and said handle being forced onto the tongued end of said shaft to the extent that the said tongue is forcibly imbedded in the material of said handle to prevent the turning of said shaft in said handle.

2. In a utility pickup device of the kind described, the structure defined in claim 1, the hook end portion of the shaft below the midpoint of the composite device being heavier than the other end of the device for overbalancing purposes thereof for the purposes specified.

FREDDIE S. TAYLOR,

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 44,699 Bayley Oct. 18, 1864 252,167 Young Jan. 10, 1882 338,521 Hart Mar. 23, 1886 565,910 Maynard Aug. 18, 1896 1,202,120 Stuckel Oct. 24, 1916 2,313,858 Armstrong Mar. 16, 19% 

